


The Blue Horizon

by mistyautumn



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, It's a Pirate AU!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23874772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistyautumn/pseuds/mistyautumn
Summary: "Kara was thirteen years old when she lost... everything. Her mother put her in the rowboat then she lowered her down into the ocean and let her drift into the fog. " A Supergirl Pirate AU.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	The Blue Horizon

**Author's Note:**

> Today is the elmayarafest prompt “alternate universe”. I’d been weirdly dreading it, and figuring I’d just do something from the Hogwarts AU, but I couldn’t think what, and just wanted to do something else. About three days ago I started playing with this, and now it’s the longest single piece of Supergirl writing I’ve done... welcome to the Pirate AU. Pirates of the Caribbean is my favorite movie of all time, so perhaps it was bound to happen. As of posting, this is a one-shot. There’s some world building beyond what’s here, but also a lot of world that is not built and that I have no idea how to approach. So... I hope you enjoy it, I hope it makes for a fun AU jaunt, and I hope it captures the characters we love authentically in an interesting new universe.

Kara was thirteen years old when she lost... everything. 

Her mother put her in the rowboat...

“Just to be safe. Be very quiet, alright? We’ll come for you when it’s safe.” She said, smoothing Kara’s hair and kissing her forehead... “I love you.”

Then she lowered Kara down into the ocean and let her drift into the fog. 

The other ship with its black flag came, and Kara listened as the lapping of the ocean against her rowboat mixed with the sounds of screams, shots... She held her breath and tried her hardest not to sob; lest they hear her even though she drifted at a distance. She could see the orange glow of fire, smell the smoke... 

_BOOM._

She wakes with a start from the familiar nightmare, her heart beating fast. Dragging a hand through her golden hair she breathes a shaky sigh and gets up, wondering what time it is... Alex’s bed is empty. Dressing, she goes up on deck and smiles thinly at J’onn who stands at the helm.

“You must have been tired.” He looks a little amused, the expression warm. J’onn’s known Alex since she was a little girl, and Kara since she came to live in the Danvers house... Kara knows he lost his family long ago... they make their own family now.

“I guess so.” She answers, looking out at the horizon; all blue sea and sky. “It’s a clear day.”

“Good winds.” 

“Morning!” Alex calls, coming up from bellow deck with two apples in her hands. 

J’onn’s ship, Deimos, isn’t large, but that’s for the better; it means that they can manage it between them. What’s more, it makes swift time, especially with fine winds like today. It’s served them well in the two years they’ve sailed together.

She shakes herself from memories and accepts the piece of fruit Alex offers, biting into it. 

“We should make the island today.” Her sister says, looking out over the sea then leaning on the railing. “Restock... I can’t wait to have a proper bath.” 

Kara makes a noise of earnest agreement. She’s grown to find home here on the ship, but there are certain things she misses from life on land. “We can post a letter to Eliza, too... let her know we’re alright.”

Alex nods, her lips curving in a slight frown as she thinks of her mother. “Do you think she-... do you think she even wants to know?”

“Of course she would. She knows why we did it... she knows J’onn was innocent.”

Alex nods and drops her apple core into the ocean, going to see to what needs doing. Once Kara finishes her breakfast she gets to work as well, climbing nimbly up into the rigging while Alex works on deck.

She turns her face into the wind and smiles serenely as it catches her hair, closing her eyes and breathing in the sea salt, she wonders if this is what the birds feel like when they fly, slowly spreading her arms like wings... After a few moments, she grips the net of rope again, blinking into the sunlight as she catches something on the horizon.

“J’onn, there’s something to the west!” She calls, drawing a spyglass from the pouch on her belt, while below Alex warily touches the hilt of the cutlass on hers. She peers through the glass, wondering if the ship is friend or foe, then sees it’s not one ship, but two. A shiver courses through her as she spots the black flag, and a distant sound carries faint across the water...

_BOOM._

“Oh no...” Kara breathes, then she’s scrambling down to the deck. “They need help--”

“Pirates?” Alex asks, hand tightening on hilt.

Kara nods, going to J’onn. “Neither ship’s Navy, it’s a black flag firing on- I don’t know if they’re travelers or merchants- but I’m sure they’re outgunned- they need _help_.”

J’onn nods, steering towards the fray... It’s dangerous, Kara knows, but it’s the very same instinct that led her and Alex to rescue him... a need to help; to see _right_ done. She cannot turn away.

Deimos only has a few guns herself, but Alex readies them, brow creased with focus. Kara climbs up again, watching... they’re at a disadvantage; too much distance to cover and in this direction the wind’s not so helpful...

For a moment she is thirteen again, watching helplessly from the rowboat as her world erupts in blood and smoke...

“It’s sinking!” Kara shouts anxiously... if she’d seen it sooner- the pirates are sailing away and the ship is _sinking_... In moments, she’s on the deck again, running to J’onn. “The pirate ship is leaving, but the other ship is sinking,”

J’onn nods, trying to catch what gust he can in this direction. “Fast?”

Through the spyglass she looks again. “Not so fast, I think, but...” She takes a breath, pushes back _but_.

_If there’s anyone left on the ship, we’ll get them..._

As they draw closer, they can see people moving and Kara breathes a little easier. She spies one man dragging a heavy looking chest up from below and wonders what could be in it... nothing valuable enough for their attackers to steal, yet the young man pulls with determination, straining.

Taking the signal flags, Kara hopes they see... _We'll help you._

Minutes pass that feel like days, but then they are in shouting range.

“We’ll get you aboard!” J’onn calls. Kara sucks in a breath... she can see bodies on the deck.

_Too late._

She shakes the notion away as best she can.

_Not for all of them._

“Leave it!” One man is shouting at the one with the chest.

“There is nothing more valuable on this ship.” The dark haired one snaps back.

Alex frowns, but she and Kara start working to bring the survivors over before the ship goes under. Some of their new passengers eye them dubiously, but they seem to know better than to question their rescuers. It’s a struggle, given the weight and the narrow gangplank,, but they manage the chest as well, and once it’s set on the deck of the Deimos, the dark haired man looks to the sisters and smiles wanly.

“Thank you.”

“What’s in there?” Alex asks, then unceremoniously kicks the lid open.

_Books._

The chest is filled up with books.

“Did I hear you say nothing more valuable...?” Alex asks skeptically.

“Than knowledge?” The man frowns at her.

“Dox is a scholar. He was crossing with us.” Another of the men says, his tone weary. “I was first mate of The Katren... Thank you.” He looks to J’onn. “ _Thank you_.”

J’onn gives a nod, stepping down from the helm. “We’ll get you to land. The extra hands will be a help to my girls and I until then. It’s Kara who spotted you.” He nods to her with a look of pride, and there’s another set of rather uncertain glances from some of the sailors, then J’onn is leading them away. ‘Dox’, as the first mate called him, lingers behind with his library.

“You’re a scholar?” Kara asks, turning to him.

“Yes.” He nods. “Querl Dox.”

“Kara Danvers, and my sister, Alexandra-”

“Just Alex.” She supplies before Kara can.

“Thank you again...” Querl Dox says softly, touching a hand to the wooden lid. “If it was you that saw us saved, I’m in your debt... truly. I’m don’t imagine I’ve ever met another lady so courageous as to sail _towards_ an attack.”

Alex smirks. “You know many ladies who sail?”

“Indeed not.” 

Kara smiles warmly. “Welcome aboard the Deimos.”

“A singular ship to be sure.”


End file.
